Survival Signature for Reliability Quantification of Large Systems and Networks

The survival signature is a useful tool for quantification of reliability of large systems and networks with relatively few types of components. This paper provides an introductory overview of the survival signature, with emphasis on recent developments and challenges to enable its use for practical applications. Topics discussed include different survival signatures for specific scenarios, the level of detail in reliability modelling, and computational aspects. In the literature, system reliability quantification is mostly focused on binary state systems with typically only few components in relatively straightforward configurations and with single functions. Real-world systems, on the other hand, often have multiple levels of functioning and consist of many components in a variety of configurations while they may need to perform multiple functions, leading to substantial challenges for reliability quantification. In the twelve years since its introduction, the survival signature has gained much attention in the literature, and progress has been made on the challenges indicated above. However, many challenges remain, including some theoretical questions about the very nature of system reliability in real-world situations.